Singapore by Brompton | Tracing the old east coast: Bungalows, beaches & long lost roads (騎老布探索前東海岸)

Join me as I ride my trusty Brompton to rediscover some of the long lost places along the former east coast - before large-scale land reclamation changed Singapore’s former coastline forever.
Maps: Google and OpenStreetMap
Local nostalgia blogs (there are many more):
goodmorningyesterday.blogspot....
thelongnwindingroad.wordpress...
Somapah Blog:
www.singaporebasapa.com/Welcom...
Bedok Heritage Trail:
www.roots.gov.sg/stories-land...
Hua Yu Wee:
huayuwee5.wixsite.com/website
Japan Puay Poon:
www.roots.gov.sg/places/place...
Buy prints and canvases at:
hikelopedia.picfair.com/
Follow me:
/ asiahikelopedia
asiahikelop...

[@jjyf78]

Singapore Ministry of education should hire you as a history teacher to teach our children for Singapore history! 👍

[@jasonke5061]

i totally agree with this!

[@Winstontangys]

ya that’s a lot of effort put into this video for many many People to enjoy and understand the Sg East Coast history. 谢谢你 Richard. 👍👍

[@deebusoh9023]

Non sporean teach history?

[@str2010]

@@deebusoh9023 cannot meh?

[@weilm]

i don't think MOE can afford him. His youtube videos are monetised you realise? he can earn more by creating these videos and sharing over youtube.

[@tanhenry8385]

Richard, you are so more singaporean than the singaporean here! Really appreciate the time and effort you put into the shoot, which have greatly enhanced my understanding of east coat of Singapore. 👏🏼👍🏼

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

You're welcome. I enjoy it!

[@Blankoi]

waa baik ah! ang mo know singapore's history better then us s'poreans! love your history lessons about Singapore!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you!

[@52muimui]

Usually the Ang Moh know better Singapore than the Singaporean. They have sharp curiosity.

[@stephenvincent4706]

My wife and I are Australian but we love visiting Singapore as often as we can. We walk all over the place and love discovering the old areas. You, however, are on a different level. Really enjoy these little treks with history lesson thrown in. Thanks and much kudos to you for your efforts 🙏

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks. Glad you enjoy!

[@yewhuiphoa9654]

The original Changi Airbase was RAF Changi, and which shares part of Changi Airport today. That can be cross-referenced with old maps.

[@mickmeadows2040]

This is my part of Singapore and I recognise so much of the East Coast and Bedok area. Oh how I miss being there. I'm currently stuck in the UK until this pandemic is over, but will be visiting as soon as I can. Thanks so much for this video. Incidentally I'm from Northampton so none of your home English comments are wasted on me.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@palamirtammarimuthu1752]

I am Singaporean...l would love to be amidst the great lakes.....l am so stuck here...in my tiny speck of an island 🥺

[@kwekkelvin]

I grow up in the East; from Geylang, Katong, Siglap, Chai Chee, Bedok and now East Coast....I'm a native singaporean and I'm delighted that I've learn from an "AngMo" the history of the areas that i grow up and live within...;)

[@LebannaLin]

I am so impressed by your production! This is what I call QUALITY CONTENT. I’m learning so much from your channel and I’m Singaporean!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Yay! Thank you!

[@jayasenapg]

Thanks Richard for the fasinating history lesson about Singapore.

[@PurplePassion1260]

If you’re my history teacher back then, I’d love history lessons for sure.

[@peterhenry986]

Hi bro 😎, I used to live right across Jalan Puay Poon! It’s called Jalan Hajijah 😊. As kids, in the 1950’s, my friends and I would occasionally venture into the hills, starting with J. Puay Poon. It was mainly a large coconut plantation way back then! The mass grave you mentioned wasn’t ‘discovered’ until a good few years later, early ‘70’s if I’m right! The Straits Times didn’t highlight this news at all! A small column in the inner pages only! Didn’t want to kick up anti Japanese sentiments (?). Anyway, the beach at the ‘end’ of Jalan Hajijah has always been one of my fondest children memories!!! Fishing, swimming, rowing... with friends and relatives were great experiences... until the reclamation!!! Anyway, thanks for sharing your journey! I always walk around the area when I am back in Singapore! We live in Melbourne now! Cheers!

[@yewhuiphoa9654]

Oh, yes. Restaurants by the coast. The original Yong Chun Garden restaurant has since moved to Chinatown but the new occupant is a restaurant too. The other buildings further down are no longer there, e.g. Long Beach, Red House.

[@basilyeo]

Hi Richard, I'm humbled by the amount of interest and immense respect you have given to my country in your videos. I have always been interested in Singapore's natural and built history and I wish more of my fellow native Singaporeans would be more interested in it too! You're right about the Tanah Merah Kechil cliffs, that was where a WW2 pillbox used to be. The new HDB construction opposite Temasek Secondary School was a forest for about 40-50 years, but before that it was an ammunitions depot that was closed and demolished in the 70s. Roll back to 2009-2012 on Google Streetview you can see the old forest, as well as remnants of the road leading into the depot. For another interesting nugget, the row of pre-war shophouses along Upp East Coast Road at 13:49 bore witness to a tragic crash of an RAF Hornet in 1951!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks for the info!

[@basilyeo]

@@AsiaHikelopedia Welcome!

[@Pemma200]

14:20 “ So much nicer than the modern ..” Totally agree. People of that era were aesthetically more refine.

[@sc1975]

Love the measured tone you speak with. As therapeutic as a Bob Ross video. Thanks for the immense educational value !

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@vincentnggh]

Hi Richard. 14:02 I am the guy by the roadside in the background (near your left ear in the video). My wife and I were having breakfast in the 青山 coffeeshop when I saw you go past after retrieving your camera from across the road. Wanted to catch up to say hi but you had gone well past us by then. Sorry for “videobombing” your production! Now this is an especially enjoyable episode for my family! Cheers!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Not really "videobombing" as I had to strain my eyes to see you! LOL Next time!

[@SharkbaitOhLala]

Thank you so much for this great history lesson. I live in the area but never knew about the historical significance of these places

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks!

[@nassirismail]

You remind me of our kampong of Kampong Ayer Gemuroh and several kampong liked Mata Ikan, Padang Terbakar, Darat Nanas, Telok Paku etc where our Changkat Changi Secondary around.

[@leongyet9896]

Bedok has the most number of coffeeshops and markets and hawker centres! "Every 10 steps you can find one" lol

[@bonsaijimmy]

Many thanks for your good research. Under Lockdown in Holland, I marvel at many nostalgic memories evoked by your videos. I have shared them with friends over here & elsewhere. I am charmed by your localized narration.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@adiross1549]

Cool trail...my grandpa used to live in kampung air gemuruh when he was a boy during WW2...now he lives a flat in Teban Gardens!! I am always curious of the locations of the places he told me abt. Thank you for doing this series!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@e600835]

Bring back old memory of my days as a kid along Changi Beach and the east coast.

[@Voltaire8559]

Your channel is awesome! Thank you for taking us around S’pore! Its so much better to have someone so passionate taking us along and telling us about S’pore very interesting stories.

[@hweeboontan5199]

Appreciate the amount of research you have put in to make this video. Thank you.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

My pleasure!

[@popozk]

Love this video, thanks for sharing the treasures of Singapore's east. Grew up in the east coast area 20 years ago, surprised to see Hua Yu Wee restaurant in your video - used to go there every year to celebrate my grandpa's birthday.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it! We had a pretty nice dinner there!

[@stevengoh1421]

Thanks Richard for sharing so much information with us. Job well done, looking forward to your next video.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks for watching!

[@kelunliu4304]

Richard, Thank you very much for showing me around my house. I miss Singapore very much, i am currently stuck in china for more then a year due to the epidemic.

[@gotmyonu1027]

Thank you for the history and informative video on land reclaimation in SG. I guessed land are so limited... We need to extend it. Just like larger countries Urbanization by cutting down forest to build towns and cities.

[@NicO-cm2xo]

Jalan Puay Poon - thanks Mr.Brompton for sharing the sad dark side down memories lane.. many did not even know or care..sadder still

[@longyang888]

When I was educated in SG in 1960-70s, I had never been taught about the sad history during Japanese occupation for whatever reasons.

[@haroldlo8624]

I am old enough to remember the East Coast the way it used to be pre land reclamation. As you pointed out large parts of it were really ‘Ulu’ with a fair few Kampungs around. So much has changed and probably for the better but I sometimes miss the way it used to be.

[@cgneo7443]

brilliant, love it. I live here most of my life, good memories. I used to tell my children and friends these interesting history whenever we are around here. Another road trails for Richard could be the truncated Tampines Rd, Old TampinesRd, Yio Chu Kang Rd, Thomson and Sembawang Road. These long and winding roads east to North of Spore were beautiful. many thanks

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@singaporethomasgiam5608]

your video is priceless, you told many Singaporean about our old history that we ourselves not even know!

[@terencetan236]

I have lived in East Coast almost all my life. And currently, live on the old coastline along Jalan Hajijah. Hua Yu Wee is a family favourite. Thank you for this video. FYI, if you are superstitious and have dogs, you might feel that they sense certain ‘things’ as you walk them in the area, especially that junction of Upper East Coast road and Bedok South Ave 1 (as seen in the last part of the video) and that plot of empty land next to the NPC just a little further down on Upper East Coast road.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks for the info!

[@seyanthurairajah721]

This has been hella informative. My Grandparents and parents often talk about where the coast line start previously etc but this has been amazing.

[@viok2932]

Wow, so much effort, time and energy put into this video. I have learnt a lot indeed! Thank you so very much for the awesomeness!!👍🙏👏

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@fahmi9]

Bedok Food Centre is also known as Bedok Corner (the corner of the road before the bend I guess?). The Tahu Telor there is out of this world!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

I'll have to try it next time!

[@xijingping7684]

Great video with very well info of Singapore reclaimed land, I like your this video, thanks for the great effort made! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@philipoch]

I’m a singaporean living in Taipei. Your videos made me miss home very much!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks and sorry!

[@ericyeo8824]

Very nice & relaxing background music there ! Can see alot of research work were put into this awesome informative video. Great Job & keep them coming Richard.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@benk7177]

Such an educational and fun piece of work! Your work should be seen by our education ministry. Thanks very much for sharing this Richard.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@benk7177]

@@AsiaHikelopedia yes, the difference I see in your work is sincere and factual sharing. Singapore may be small but it is compact and well managed at the same time. And we have 200 years of history 😁. There are many things to explore if we take the time to find out.

[@walniw]

Thanks a lot Richard for the history lesson... born and bred here for over 60 years and learning so much historical facts from a foreigner. Appreciate the research and effort you put into this video and many others you've done about Singapore. Keep it up.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@haridaspanicker5888]

Merry X'mas and happy New Year. It is very nostalgic for me to watch these videos, as I was born in Singpore and grew up there till I was 17. I still have memories of old Singapore, where the sea and the beach was always only a few kilometers away. Now it has been pushed farther away.

[@gotmyonu1027]

Merry Christmas 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄... Richard

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Same to you!

[@cardfight4ever123]

love these videos. you teach me more about history of singapore than school has ever taught.

[@rext8949]

You deserve every last calorie that you consume going about the place in this sultry heat. Less sugar and more electrolyte would be a better option. Very interesting details about the changing landscape of Singapore ; one of the countries where land reclamation is almost a religious pursuit. The past has a way of quietly insinuating itself into the present. Hope Singapore preserves more of it's past.

[@tzuanyeh]

太喜歡你的Video, 充滿了教育性又不失英式幽默! 希望疫情後，回台灣當觀光大使好好讓大家知道，不要跟大自然爭地。期待在台灣某日某地碰到你及你的小布!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

謝謝！

[@TheDeeann1905]

U missed the Jalan Haji Salam house too! Thats great piece of history abt a house there. Do uncover siglap trail too about the discovery of Japanese left over bombs, siglap market, mass graves, Japanese Hanger turned Keris Film studio near frankel Esso pump station, the enbloc blks infront of siglap centre and many many more !! I love such sg past history.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Just reading up on it now. If I had seen it before filming I would have definitely put it in.

[@TheDeeann1905]

@@AsiaHikelopedia yeah.. i was wondering why there isnt any heritage trails for Jalan Haji Salam. There is the description about The Long Beach House located at Bedok blk 205 near the heritage trail info though. There are pictures in Pinterest if you wanna see them. Uploaded by the Pinterest community.

[@shaoshee]

Looking forward for part 2!

[@angelajackson2626]

Hello Richard, I enjoy watching all your videos. My father was in the RAF and we lived in Singapore for three years between 1964-67. Happy memories indeed!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you. It means a lot!

[@peterhenry986]

Hi Angela, I remember the RAF families that used to live down my street and in the area! Knew some of them from ‘afar’ as they usually keep to themselves! 😂😂😂

[@roylee9088]

Down the cliffs was Upper East coast road Infront was the bungalows directly facing the sea

[@patrickteo3598]

Both Tanah merah besar road and tanah merah kechil road (south) still exists today. Gives a rough indication of the location of red cliffs you mentioned.

[@rrhhggtt]

Thanks so much for the hard work and dedication! There's so much history out there in this bustling city.

[@dickybirdcch]

Now, I want a Brompton.

[@yewhuiphoa9654]

Regarding the "cliffs" along Upp East Coast Road with the Kew houses on top, you can easily cross-check with your old maps. The Kew houses were all built on a big cemetery in the early 90s.

[@suhailiramliee4878]

Thank you for this informative and interesting history of Singapore. Love it!

[@pebbleinstream]

Great video and info, Richard. Looking forward to Part 2.

[@daryllim9777]

Love your vids ! It's like I don't have to travel around but I still get to see around the Singapore !

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad I can save you the effort! LOL

[@jadelpg]

Thank you so much for doing a lot of homework on Singapore history. You have done something so much in-depth which no one has done before. Have great respect for you.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

So nice of you

[@jadelpg]

Looking forward to part 2. 😊

[@ismailaziz5508]

I'am a Malaysian Malay Muslim man age 33, from Johor Bahru, Malaysia. My late grandpa is a Singaporean born man in the year of 1915. Here I will let all know that most of the young teenagers to the age of 50 years old did not know about this place, they will said this is Malaysia, not Singapore. Those who were born in the year from 1970's they did not know anything about old Singapore, I know about Singapore as I have been told about the old Singapore history by my father 65, before my late grandpa pass away in 1989 at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.

[@AmbientWalking]

What a beautiful way of seeing Singapore. Thank you for this!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

It really is!

[@AmbientWalking]

@@AsiaHikelopedia Merry Christmas!

[@CS-mv2ty]

Excellent stuff, Richard. there is so much going in in SG's recent past and future which is shaping the island, city and country. That no one covers this stuff is amazing.... Great stuff, as always. Love the start and we must always credit you on the multiple camera angles.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you!

[@mouselim72]

Love your videos... the filming and music, very relaxing to watch. Thanks a lot!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you very much!

[@heong20]

Merry Christmas Richard. Good job, thank you.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Same to you! Thanks!

[@haebee]

your production values are a whole other level. from the on-location camera placements to the B-roll cuts and historical research done, you're a one-man pro documentarian. thank you. and have a Merry Christmas.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Wow, thank you!

[@mongteck]

Great sharing. Stumbled upon your channel. Glad I watched this episode!

[@hglim738]

Thank you for this excellent video on land reclammation in Singapore which has been taking place over past decades. A very vivid and enlightening lesson in history indeed, with all the research you've done. Keep up the good work!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you!

[@dannykohpohsoon]

Enjoy your videos very much! Keep up the great work and thanks for showing us, Singaporeans, the old Singapore!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks for watching!

[@cheryls17]

Thanks for the history lesson! I learnt more from this video than I ever did from my history teachers!!

[@solarasg9411]

Waiting forward to part 2!

[@jcloiseau]

Another great video! Love it!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks again!

[@emalejack]

Another amazing video, you know my neighbourhood more than I do 👍🏼

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks 👍

[@louislim3023]

Hi Richard. I know a whole group of people who were born and raised in Mata Ikan. Good for you to speak to them! 😂😁

[@superpogs]

Best video by far

[@raymondteo9315]

Enjoy your video Every episode u make, I learn something new

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad to hear it!

[@michellekuan332]

I really enjoyed this video a lot ! So enriching and educational . Thank you !

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@dfwnick5309]

Another awesome and informative video,..great work Richard....Greetings of the season.

[@kelvgan]

I liked the bedok camp hawker centre part...yum yum!!!🍽

[@javiertan16]

You are amazing and your video is awesome. Love your calm presentation style. Looking forward to your next video. Happy holidays!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you! You too!

[@avinashk3202]

So well researched. Amazing Video. Keep doing more !!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you!

[@andylam73]

thx for the video. a very informative tour. great job.

[@qkchia1593]

Wonderful, a gud example for locals to follow. I'm familiar with what u explored. I grew up in kampong Bedok, behind the Bedok Rest House. Many wonderful memories of kampong life, the beach n the 2 forts were our playground.

[@joannekhoo7049]

14:25 Yes, my modern house is opposite the road. 😑 But I get to see this beautiful stretch of shophouses every day! Anyway, surprised to see your videos and it is really informative. Understand that you have already left Singapore and I wish you all the best. Hope you will come back one day, you are already a Singaporean at heart!

[@kimberlynlim7113]

I love this video!!! Quality research n content!! Mindblown by the history!!! Thank you for enlightening this singaporean!!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@NewbieGamerz884]

Greatly appreciated for making this video, Richard! Looking forward to the next part! Wishing you and ur family early merry xmas!! 👍👍

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks. Same to you!

[@NewbieGamerz884]

@@AsiaHikelopedia thanks richard! 👍

[@Jmydle0388]

Peizhen brought me here. Liked and subscribed. Looking forward to part 2.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks!

[@Vapour85]

Wow this is amazing work, thank you!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you too!

[@karthik448]

Really unique and fun way to learn about history Richard.. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks！Same to you!

[@LiLi_Jepun]

I loved to watch every video of yours Thank you for sharing the history of singapore even me myself a local haven't reach all those some places before keep on doing can't wait to watch more video 👍😊

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you!

[@rjxie4323]

Nicee. Didn't know my o'jogging trails have so much history.

[@kenesu357]

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[@ESSEN05]

A very Nice trail. Its great to have someone like you share important information about the history of singapore. I also live in singapore and i like riding bicycle around east coast. 😍 i like your background music. Sounds great!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bonsaijimmy]

Merry Christmas & good health to you & family!

[@kltan5642]

拍摄太棒了，谢谢分享。

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

不客氣

[@SingaporeSkaterSam]

13:00 yes I assume that’s what remains of the smaller (kechil) cliffs, most of which were leveled for the land reclamation work. There is a 1930 sea chart in the online archives that labels the larger (besar) cliffs, “conspicuous red cliffs”, I was looking recently because they are mentioned in a Somerset Maugham short story! Nice photo of the cliffs you found.

[@mdaarun]

Woohoo! The lunch looks soooo gooood.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

It was nice!

[@kelvgan]

Eager to catch up with part 2...btw .merry xmas and happy new year to your family! Cheers

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Same to you!

[@xeenslayer]

Great videos! Thanks for taking the time to research and share all this info with us! Also, I'm always amazed at how you put in effort to place your camera somewhere, film yourself cycling by, then go back to collect it again! >

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you. I can't afford an assistant!

[@azrikhairol4941]

truly nice vids, Richard. Keep em up 👍👍👍 Greetings from Brunei 🇧🇳

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thanks 👍

[@alinatan5441]

This is awesome Richard! Truly appreciate all the detailed research you put in to make sure that your videos are not only accurate but they also add value. Your work is outstanding!! I grew up in Marine Terrace which is essentially a whole public housing estate built on reclaimed land, so I am looking forward to the next episode!

[@alinatan5441]

Oh! Btw, we refer to the Malay style curry puffs that you had as Epok Epok. I just love them!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

I love Epok Epok!

[@Pemma200]

Amazing, so much research for this video.

[@AsiaHikelopedia]

Thank you!